AfriGeneas Military Research Forum Archive

Civ. War Pension records Dennis WEAVER, VA

I am in shock. Went to my mailbox today and found a huge package from NARA. The civil war pension files for my great grandmother's brother Dennis Weaver, and all the papers filed by his wife Delia Fields Weaver after he died.

There are over 200 pages!

I am trying to digest the information - will have to read through them several times before it all makes sense - but there's a lot of information in here. Found out he played a cornet. That he was sent away from Loudoun county as a 10 year old slave for a period of time. They include his wife's death certificate - which confirms the maiden name of her mother. Unfortunately - the papers do not list the name of his slave owner.

What is appalling is the hoops he had to jump through to get a pension at all - which when he finally got it was $6.00 a month. I must have at least 50 pages of rejection/denial notices - and 50 more from lawyers fighting on his behalf. His widow was receiving $36.00 a month at the time of her death in 1935.

He was lucky to have had a few white folks in Loudoun to sign affidavits for him - including the local doctor Dr. Plaster - who testifies that he had known him since he was a child. Dr. Plaster is the person who sold land to our family in Loudoun.

Dennis W Weaver joined on June 14th 1863 at Mason's Island and was a member of the 1st Regiment, United States Colored Infantry,Company D.
He was discharged at end of the War at Roanoke Island - NC on Sept. 29, 1865. He then lived for a period of time in Washington DC until he returned to Loudoun County.

There are a number of supporting documents filed by neighbors and other members of his company. Will post their names in a follow-up post - as soon as I can wade through them all.